&#34;The Side Sleeper&#34; Contoured Leg Support Pillow

ABSTRACT

A contoured leg support pillow that extends from the knee to the foot. “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow uses a contoured channel that extends from top to bottom for a leg to rest in, and optionally, a flat plank at the top and bottom for the foot to rest on. The contoured leg support pillow changes from thinner near the knee to thicker near the foot such that it elevates the upper leg and keeps it parallel to the lower leg while sleeping.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of the commonly owned, now abandoned, application entitled ““The Side Sleeper” Contoured Leg Support Pillow”, filed Aug. 9, 2017, bearing U.S. Ser. No. 15/673,360, and the Continuation-In-Part application of the commonly owned co-pending application entitled ““The Side Sleeper” Contoured Leg Support Pillow”, filed Jul. 5, 2018, bearing U.S. Ser. No. 16/028,340, both naming Ernest Caruso, the named inventor herein, as sole inventor, the contents of which is specifically incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

“The Side Sleeper” Contoured Leg Support Pillow is a medical device that is related to conditions that cause lower back, hip, and leg pain. In particular, it relates to a specially contoured leg support pillow that reduces stress on the Iliotibial band by aligning the wearer's legs while the wearer sleeps on the wearer's side.

BACKGROUND

Today, many individuals suffer from chronic lower back, hip, and leg pain due to misalignment of their legs while sleeping. The reason for this is that individuals who sleep on the side often have the top leg drop down pulling on the Iliotibial band which pulls on the hip and lower back as well as misaligning with the other leg. As a result of this misalignment, the individual may suffer from lower back pain, leg pain, hip bursitis, and iliotibial band syndrome (i.e., tendinitis). The effect of this stress results in a number of problems for an individual.

There are prior art invention related to leg positioning. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,489 to Wagner discloses an abduction pillow that is positioned between a patient's legs and extends from the patient's groin (as shown in FIGS. 1-3) to approximately mid-calf. The Wagner invention is used to immobilize both of the patient's legs while the patient is recovering from hip replacement surgery. Because this prior art device is designed for an entirely different purpose, namely surgical recovery, and requires that the patient rest on the patient's back. It does not teach or suggest a method of keeping an individual's legs parallel while sleeping on the individual's side to prevent top leg drop down from pulling on the Iliotibial band which pulls on the hip and lower back as well as misaligning with the other leg, and further, it does not allow the patient to sleep on the patient's side. As such, it would be inoperable for keeping the legs parallel to address the problems solved by this invention.

Another item of prior art is U.S. Patent Application 2009/0229056 to Edinger. The Edinger device is similar to the Wagner device, discussed above, in that it is positioned between a patient's legs and extends from the patient's groin to approximately the patient's ankle. Like the Wagner invention, it is an abduction pillow used to immobilize both of the patient's legs to help the patient when recovering from hip replacement surgery. It differs from Wagner in that the device can bend at the knees. And like Wagner, it spreads the patient's legs wide apart which prevents them from being aligned in parallel. Because of this inability to align the legs in parallel, Edinger is also inoperable for the prevention of pulling on the Iliotibial band which pulls on the hip and lower back as well as misaligning with the other leg.

Another item of prior art is U.S. Patent Application 2009/0229056 to Edinger. The Edinger device is similar to the Wagner device, discussed above, in that it is positioned between a patient's legs and extends from the patient's groin to approximately the patient's ankle. Like the Wagner invention, it is an abduction pillow used to immobilize both of the patient's legs to help the patient when recovering from hip replacement surgery. It differs from Wagner in that the device can bend at the knees. And like Wagner, it spreads the patient's legs wide apart which prevents them from being aligned in parallel. Because of this inability to align the legs in parallel, Edinger is also inoperable for the prevention of pulling on the Iliotibial band which pulls on the hip and lower back as well as misaligning with the other leg.

Yet another item of prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,654 to Spann. The Spann device serves a different purpose than Wagner and Edinger. Spann is designed to support a single leg for patients confined to extended bedrest, and thereby avoid complications such as bed sores. Further, Spann is designed to be used to support a single leg, and as shown in Spann's FIG. 2, it's structure would prevent the two legs of a patient from being aligned in parallel. Because of this inability to align the legs in parallel, Spann is also inoperable for the prevention of pulling on the Iliotibial band which pulls on the hip and lower back as well as misaligning with the other leg.

Prior art devices are typically designed to support an individual's leg for surgical recovery or for use in avoiding bedsores. While these devices provide an advantage for individuals with specific medical needs, they do not address problems related to stress and/or stretching of the iliotibial band. Since prior art devices are typically located between the groin to the knee, they are not strategically placed in the correct area to avoid injury or stress to the iliotibial band. As a result, they create a downward drop of the bottom lower leg that pulls on the iliotibial band, the sacral iliac joint, the acetabulum of the hip joint, the lower back, and externally rotates the leg. The resulting stress creates tendinitis and bursitis that interferes with an individual's comfort, and also generates significant amounts of pain. This also creates subluxation in the hip and vertebra of the lumbar spine.

It would be desirable to have device that prevents the leg from moving to a position that generates stress to the iliotibial band, the sacral iliac joint, the acetabulum of the hip joint, the lower back, and prevents external rotation of the leg.

While the prior art has provided support to the knee, it has failed to provide a mechanism to avoid unnecessary injury caused by misalignment of the lower leg while sleeping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a contoured leg support pillow that extends from the knee to the foot. “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow uses a contoured channel shape that extends from top to bottom for the lower legs to rest in, and a flat plank at the top and bottom for the knee and foot to rest on. “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow goes from thinner on the knee side to thicker on the foot side such that it elevates the bottom lower leg and keeps the legs parallel while the individual is sleeping on the individual's side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the contoured leg support pillow.

FIG. 2 is a distal end view of the contoured leg support pillow shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the contoured leg support pillow shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the contoured leg support pillow shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a form fitted cover for the contoured leg support pillow shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a distal end view of the form fitted cover for the contoured leg support pillow shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a proximal end view of the form fitted cover for the contoured leg support pillow shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the form fitted cover for the contoured leg support pillow shown in FIG. 6 with a leg secured to the contoured leg support pillow by retaining straps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Prior to a detailed discussion of the figures, a general overview of the invention will be presented. The invention provides a contoured leg support pillow that extends from the knee to the foot. The contoured leg support pillow has contoured channels on either side of a central plank to comfortably support a user's leg from the knee where the leg is thicker to the ankle where the leg is thinner. The contoured channel provides a comfortable location for the legs to rest in. “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow goes from thinner on the knee end to thicker on the foot end. The purpose of varying the thickness is to elevate the lower leg and make the legs parallel while sleeping. By aligning the individual's legs together, stress on internal structures such as the sacral iliac joints, the hip acetabulum, lumbar spine, and iliotibial band is largely eliminated.

“The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow is different and unique in design because it has bolsters that extend from the bottom of the knee to the ankle and their thickness varies to take into account the size of a user's leg at any given point from the knee to the ankle. In addition, the varying thickness is designed to fit between the lower leg lifting it up and making the legs parallel from top to bottom. As a result it takes the pressure off of the iliotibial band that would pull on the hips and lower back if the leg drops as is the case with prior art devices.

Further, “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow also takes pressure off of the sacral iliac joint, hip joint acetabulum, and eliminates the pull on the lower back due to the elevation and balancing of the lower legs.

Another advantage of the invention is that “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow doesn't allow external rotation of the femur which puts a strain on the acetabulum that often results in bursitis of the hip as well as putting a strain on the sacral iliac joint which in turn creates bursitis of the sacral iliac joint.

Further, “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow also takes the pull off of the lower back and hips by keeping the legs parallel to each other and elevated up.

Since individuals vary widely in size from one individual to another, the invention preferably is fabricated in a number of sizes such that any individual could be accommodated.

“The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow is preferably fabricated with standard channels that will be U-shaped and taper down as it approaches the foot. “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow contours from thinner near the knee to thicker near the foot whereby it braces the lower leg and makes the legs parallel from top to bottom.

“The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow is preferably fabricated from medium-density foam in an inner layer, and a surface layer of memory foam. This provides a balance between comfort and firmness. However, those skilled in the art recognize that any suitable material can be used.

The preferred in embodiment envisions a cover for “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow. The cover forms a sleeve that fits over the foam, and can be removed for cleaning. Preferably, the cover will be a polyester, or a spandex and cotton blend that is configured to snugly fit over the foam pad. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other suitable materials can be used so long as they provide comfort, durability, and ease of cleaning.

On the distal end, near the individual's foot, the width of both cover and the contoured leg support pillow is substantially the same as the width at the proximal end, toward the knee. A slight difference in width would allow the contoured leg support pillow to be more easily inserted into the cover. In the preferred embodiment, there will be an overlapping slit, a zipper or a slit with hook and loop material, at the distal end of the contoured leg support pillow, to facilitate separation of the cover from the contoured leg support pillow for the purpose of cleaning the cover.

In the preferred embodiment, “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow is secured to an individual's leg by hook and loop elastic straps, or a single polyester strap located near the calf and near the ankle to keep the contoured leg support in place. The purpose of the straps will be to hold the device in place for individuals who flip from side to side while sleeping. The straps attach at the back of the pad and are secured by hook and loop material at the front of the leg for easy access. The straps should not be secured so tight that blood circulation is impaired. In the preferred embodiment, “The Side Sleeper” contoured leg support pillow is attached to one leg to give mobility when the wearer is up from bed and walking.

The central plank provides support for the side walls. The foam side walls form a channel to accommodate an individual's leg. The central plank and the channels may be fabricated and a single component or as three separate components.

In the preferred embodiment, the width and depth of the channels will decrease as the channels extend from the individual's knee to the individual's ankle. By decreasing the depth of the channels as they approach the individual's ankle, the individual's leg is lifted so that the individual's legs are in proper alignment. By keeping the legs in proper alignment, the stress that would otherwise be placed on the iliotibial band is removed, and the problems described above are alleviated.

In the preferred embodiment the central plank and side walls have rounded corners. In the preferred embodiment, corners that come in contact with the individual are rounded to improve comfort.

Straps are secured to the contoured leg support pillow. In the preferred embodiment, the straps are secured by hook and loop material. The use of hook and loop material allows the straps to be adjustable since individuals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Those skilled in the art will realize that alternatives to hook and loop material, such as buckles may be used to secure the straps.

The contoured leg support pillow preferably uses a tapered channel which is shallower near the knee than the ankle. This causes the leg to be raised in relation to the other leg such that the legs are in better alignment when the individual is sleeping on the side.

The contoured leg support pillow spreads the individual's legs apart as they approach the ankle. As a result, the legs are held in better alignment such that injury to the iliotibial band and related medical problems are avoided or ameliorated.

Having discussed the features and advantages of the invention in general, we turn now to a more detailed discussion of the figures.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the contoured leg support pillow 13. The invention uses a contoured wedge design. This figure illustrates the proximal end 14, the distal end 15, the side surface 16, and side walls 17. As can be seen in this figure, the distal end 15 is thicker than the proximal end 14. The tapered thickness of the contoured leg support pillow 13 spreads the individual's legs apart as they approach the ankle. The legs are thus held in better alignment which reduces the possibility of injury to the iliotibial band that in turn avoids or ameliorates related medical problems.

The proximal end 14 is rounded for improved comfort. Likewise, the distal end 15 is wider and has a squared off foot end in order to provide a comfortable platform to rest the individual's foot. In addition, the distal end 15 has an added medial malleolus indentation 27 (shown in FIG. 4) for comfort. The medial malleolus is the bony prominence on the inner side of the ankle, formed by the lower end of the tibia. The medial malleolus indentation 27 improves comfort by preventing undue pressure on the medial malleolus.

FIG. 2 is a distal end view of the contoured leg support pillow 13 that is illustrated in FIG. 1. The distal end 15 is shown along with the sidewalls 17. As can be seen, the sidewalls 17 are located on both sides of contoured leg support pillow 13. During use, the contoured leg support pillow 13 is positioned between the individual's two legs so sidewalls 17 are needed on both sides to properly align both legs while sleeping. As shown in the figure, the opposing side walls 17 form a channel to comfortably contain the individual's legs in the proper position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the contoured leg support pillow 13 illustrated in FIG. 1. This figure shows the sidewalls 17 arranged on opposing sides of the contoured leg support pillow 13. The sidewalls 17 are positioned and sized such that a channel for the individual's leg is formed between them. This figure also illustrates the proximal end 14, the distal end 15, and the central plank 18 that supports the individual's leg.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the contoured leg support pillow 13 shown in FIG. 1. The sidewalls 17 that are shown arranged on either side of the central plank 18. This figure illustrates a slight narrowing of the central plane 18 between the distal end 15 and the proximal end 14. As will be discussed further below, a slight narrowing of the contoured leg support pillow 13 allows it to be inserted into a detachable cover 22 (shown below in FIG. 5) with greater ease.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a form fitted cover 22 for the contoured leg support pillow 13 shown in FIG. 1. While the preferred embodiment envisions the cover 22 being fabricated from a spandex/cotton fabric, those skilled in the art will recognize that other suitable materials, such as polyester or nylon may also be used. The cover 22 is sized to snugly fit over the contoured leg support pillow 13. To improve the fit, the side panels of cover 22 may have extended flaps that cover the entire sidewalls 17 and will be sewn in around the base of the sidewalls 17 medially (where the legs go). The side panels will cover the sidewalls 17 and the top and bottom panels will be recessed to the base of the channels and surfaces where the knee and the foot lie. This configuration makes a contoured shape fitting the pillow more like a glove.

Also shown on this figure are attachment straps 19. In the preferred embodiment, two opposing sets of attachment straps 19 are used to secure the contoured leg support pillow 13 to the individual's leg. Each opposing attachment strap 19 has an attachment point to secure the attachment straps 19 together. In the preferred embodiment, the attachment points are buckles, but they can also be fabricated from hook and loop material 20, 21. For ease of illustration, the attachment points 20 are illustrated as hook and loop material and shown as dashed lines to indicate their position on the other side of the attachment strap 19.

The attachment straps 19 can be a polyester or nylon webbing style strap, or alternatively, it can be fabricated from a laminated foam material.

The attachment straps 19 are sized to accommodate the differing sizes of the individual patients. The preferred embodiment envisions that the attachment straps 19 are approximately 2 inches wide for large individuals and 1.5 inch inches wide for small individuals. Of course those skilled in the art will realize that a range of sizes can also be made available to comfortably fit the wide range of individual sizes.

FIG. 6 is a distal end view of the form fitted cover 22 for the contoured leg support 13 shown in FIG. 5. The distal end 15 of the contoured leg support pillow 13 is covered by the distal end 24 of the cover 22. Also shown in this figure is access port 23. Access port 23 provides an opening for insertion of the contoured leg support pillow 13 into cover 22. For ease illustration, access for 23 is shown on the distal end of the cover 22. However, those skilled in the art will realize that the access port 23 can be just as easily moved to another location, such as the side of the cover 22 so long as it enables removal of cover 22 from the contoured leg support pillow 13.

In this figure, the access port 23 is illustrated as a zipper. In the preferred embodiment, the access port 23 can be secured by a zipper, snaps, hook and loop material, or any other suitable closure device. Likewise, while the figure shows the access port 23 at the distal end of the contoured leg support pillow 13, to facilitate separation of the cover from the contoured leg support pillow 13, it can be located to any other position, such as the side of the contoured leg support pillow 13 for the purpose of removing the cover 22 for cleaning. In addition, those skilled in the art will recognize that any suitable securing mechanism can be used to form the access port 23. Likewise, that cover 22 is preferably fabricated from material that is both washable, and comfortable for the individual, such as a spandex/cotton fabric, a nylon fabric, or a polyester fabric.

FIG. 7 is an proximal end view of the form fitted cover 22 for the contoured leg support pillow 13 shown in FIG. 5. In this figure, the attachment straps 19 are shown secured together by hook and loop material 20, 21.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the form fitted cover 22 for the contoured leg support pillow 13 shown in FIG. 5 with an individual's leg 26 secured to the contoured leg support pillow 13 by retaining straps 19. An addition, this figure also illustrates a platform of distal end 15 of the contoured leg support pillow 13, and also at the proximal end 14 of the contoured leg support pillow 13. The platforms provide support for the individual's leg for comfort.

While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit, scope, and teaching of the invention. For example, the material used to fabricate the device can vary, etc. Accordingly, the invention herein disclosed is to be limited only as specified in the following claims. I claim: 

What is claimed is:
 1. A contoured leg support pillow for aligning an individual's legs while the individual is sleeping on the individual's side, comprising: a central plank, the central plank having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end positioned near an individual's feet, and the proximal end positioned near and the individual's knee; the distal end of the central plank is thicker than the proximal end, such that when worn, the individual's legs are substantially parallel near the distal end of the central plank when the individual is sleeping on the individual's side; the central plank further having first and second sides, each having a set of side walls extending along at least a portion of each opposing side edge, the side edges together providing an opposing channel for each individual's leg to rest therein; and at least a first attachment strap secured to the contoured leg support pillow and only one of the individual's legs, such that the contoured leg support pillow is secured to one of the individual's legs and individual is able to walk without removing the contoured leg support pillow; the attachment straps are not secured to the other leg of the individual, allowing the individual to get up and walk without having to remove the contoured leg pillow; whereby the contoured leg support pillow is secured to only one of the individual's legs such that the individual's legs are held in substantially parallel alignment while the individual is sleeping on the individual's side, such that stress on internal structures, including the sacral iliac joints, the hip acetabulum, lumbar spine, and iliotibial band is reduced.
 2. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 1, wherein: the attachment strap has first and second ends, and extending from the first side to the second side such that one of the individual's legs is securely attached to the contoured leg support pillow; and at least one end of the attachment strap is detachably attached to the contoured leg support pillow; whereby the attachment strap, when detached a one end, releases the individual's leg from the contoured leg support pillow.
 3. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 2, wherein the securing means further comprises: at least a second attachment strap having first and second ends, and extends from the first side to the second side such that one of the individual's legs is securely attached to the contoured leg support pillow; the first attachment strap positioned near the distal end of the contoured leg support pillow, and the second attachment strap positioned near the proximal end of the contoured leg support pillow.
 4. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 3, wherein: a first and second attachment straps each permanently attached at first end to the side of the contoured leg support pillow, and detachably attached at the second end by hook and loop material that removably attaches to hook and loop material on the opposing side of the contoured leg support pillow.
 5. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 2, wherein each attachment strap is sized such that it is adjustable for attachment to differing leg sizes.
 6. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 1, wherein: the proximal end of the central plank is rounded.
 7. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 1, wherein: the distal end of the central plank extends past the side walls, is wider than the proximal end, and is sized to accommodate the length of an individual's foot.
 8. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 1, wherein the central plank and sidewalls are fabricated from foam material.
 9. A contoured leg support pillow, as in claim 1, wherein the central plank further comprises a medial malleolus indentation near the distal end of the central plank. 